Wii, Xbox, PS3 - Get your game on!

For parents who grew up playing "Space Invaders," buying a video game system can be downright confusing. There are three major consoles on the market this year; Sony's Playstation 3, Microsoft's Xbox 360, and the Nintendo Wii, and they each offer a different experience.

So, which console is best for your family? Let our holiday buying guide demystify the process.

Nintendo Wii delivers the fun

The video game mantra of late has been to build it bigger, faster, and stronger. While Sony and Microsoft consoles swell in size and expense, Nintendo has bucked the trend and instead aimed for sheer fun, which the Wii handily delivers.

What sets Nintendo's machine apart is an innovative wireless controller that responds to player's motions and movements. This means that when you pop a tennis game into the Wii you're going to be swinging backstrokes and hitting lobs just like in real life.

The controller's straightforward design (it looks just like a TV remote) makes it easy for both kids and adults to pick it up and start playing (and, more often than not, get addicted).

Perennial favorites like Mario and Zelda are exclusive to Nintendo, as are some newer funky titles like "Cooking Mama," where points are scored by chopping potatoes and sautéing, and "Trauma Center," where you don scrubs and perform surgeries as an ER doctor.

With a ticket price of $249, the Nintendo Wii is the cheapest of the three systems available. The console comes packaged with Wii Sports, a collection of games like bowling and tennis that perfectly show-off the unit's capabilities.

The Wii is not without it's faults, though. There might not be enough raw power under the hood to appease the demands of hardcore gamers, and the Wii's game library

is currently on the small side.

Also, unlike the Playstation 3 or the Xbox 360, the Wii does not play DVDs or music CDs.

Unfortunately, the biggest drawback to the Wii is actually being able to find one. Nintendo can't churn the machines out fast enough

to meet the unyielding demand, leaving store shelves everywhere empty. Unless you're willing to fork over astronomical sums on eBay or you enjoy sleeping on the sidewalk in front of Target, the Nintendo Wii might not find its way under your tree this year.

If you can find one, the Wii does deliver a lot of quirky fun that the whole family can enjoy.

Xbox takes games "Live"

Microsoft's Xbox 360 system boasts the largest library of games, has amazing online capabilities, and unlike the Wii, is currently available in plentiful numbers.

The coolest feature of Microsoft's machine is the Xbox Live feature; an online service allows players to either team-up or compete head-to-head with other people from all around the world.

The ability to communicate with other players via headset microphones really makes the Xbox 360 different. Instead of being a relatively solitary act, playing a video game can actually turn into something of a social activity. It's a very 21st Century moment when you find yourself facing off against a 12-year-old South Korean in a round of Halo 3.

Xbox Live requires a membership fee (it costs $50 for a year), but new systems come with a free trial allowing players to hook up and "go Live!" right out of the box.

There are three versions of the Xbox 360 out there on store shelves. The entry-level Xbox 360 Arcade sells for $280. The Arcade is affordable, but it doesn't come equipped with a hard drive, without which players can't download online content or play old Xbox games. Most kids eventually are going to want those capabilities, and purchasing an external hard drive afterward overrides the initial savings.

A better choice is the $350 Xbox 360 Premium (sometimes called "Pro"). The extra $70 gets you an onboard 20GB hard drive, providing plenty of space for the average player to get their game on. In addition to a controller and a snazzy headset, the Premium comes bundled with two games, Forza Motorsport 2 and Marvel Ultimate Alliance. It's by far the best bang for the buck, and having two games to play immediately upon unwrapping is a sweet bonus.

Also available is the Xbox 360 Elite package that sports a gigantic 120GB hard drive. At $450, it's really meant for hardcore gamers and would be overkill for the casual user. Buy the Premium and invest the $100 savings in a couple of games.

Sony looks to the future with Playstation 3

While Sony's Playstation 2 dominated the video game world for the last five years, its newest version, the Playstation 3, has yet to catch fire. A lack of any breakout titles combined with a shock-inducing $600 price tag (since lowered to $500) has kept sales low, but Sony says the best is yet to come.

The machine is far and away the most technologically advanced one out there. The PS3 processor is equal to a very high-end PC's. Sony promises it will deliver the most lifelike graphics ever seen, once game designers learn how to fully utilize it.

The PS3 pulls double duty as not only a game console, but a state-of-the-art media player. It has a built in Blu-ray optical drive that plays stunning high definition movies and also upgrades the picture quality of standard DVDs. A built-in Wi-Ficard allows for wireless Internet access, and USB ports and flash media slots make transferring music and video files a snap. The PS3 also carries a HDMI slot that connects to high-definition flat screen TVs and churns out a beautiful 1080 resolution.

If you have no idea what any of that means, the Playstation 3 might not be for you. The machine is like the Porsche of the video game market - glitzy, sleek, and packing plenty of impressive oomph, but at a steep price. It may not be the right system for youngsters, but A/V perfectionists who are looking for a sleek high definition media hub will love its high-tech gadgetry.

There are two models on the market. The $400 unit is equipped with a 40GB hard drive, but suffers a major drawback in not being able to play any of the thousands of old PS2 games. A better bet is the $500 80GB version that can play most, but not all, of the old PS2 games.